An intriguing history lesson, 18 Jun 2008
Running somewhat contrary to modern beliefs about how pirates behaved during their spare time, this book reveals some remarkable truths about an exceedingly Bohemian era. In fairness, the author does go a little 'overboard' with the seamen jokes, but who could really blame him for wanting to squeeze out every last drop? Anyhow, don't be misled by Burg's penchant for bawdy innuendo, for behind all the predictable gags about 'emptying the cannons' or 'entering the poop deck' etc. one finds an extremely engaging history of a rather ill-understood era. Judging from the first-hand sources presented within, you can forget what you saw in Pirates of the Caribbean! I doubt whether Johnny Depp would be quite so popular among teenage girls, had the makers demonstrated what a real-life pirate might have got up to beneath the deck- especially if the film had recreated the tale of some three-way action between one galleon's first-mate and cabin boy, as well as their peg-legged eunuch of a captain (who apparently triumphed over adversity, by uncovering new possibilities where others would merely spy limitations).

Anyway, I learned an enormous amount from this book, not least the etymological origins of the term 'buttpirate'. Incidentally, I understand that Burg is soon to publish a volume about the equally freewheeling behaviour that was rife among workers from the packing departments of Victorian factories (particularly within those that specialised in the production of sugar and butter based confectionary).

Sodomy for me, 16 Sep 2003
This is a great book about pirates and how they enjoyed sleeping naked in threes and buggering each other. I vastly enjoyed reading in detail about their sexual antics and I must confess that I fantasised several times about having a little pirate of my own. I strongly recommend you read this book.

Worth a second look (Or double take), 30 Mar 1999
Yes, most folks give a double take when they see the title to this volume. But really, it is quite informative about the life of a rover, and as the title suggests, it pulls no punches. A bit dry and overwordy at times, but definately worth a read.

Missing the point, 08 Jan 1999
I don't see how overexposing a subject like sodomy between pirates has much to do with their time. Sure, that was a part of their lives, but did it really have any part in establishing the new world? The book spends too much time on discussing how the bigger, stronger pirates dominated the smalller, weakers ones until the would let them perform sodomy? Big deal!! We all knew that pirates sleep 3 to a rack!!

BRAVO!!, 28 Dec 1998
This book is very indepth in explain how pirates would survive on long journies abroad by sleeping nude three to a bunk like spoons. With the weather conditions, that was their only means of survival. It makes one understand that sodomy was part of their lives, as they usually had several male lovers aboard the vessel. The chapter on hot racking was especially revealing, considering 90% of all pirates engaged in that. This is a very good book about pirates and their lifestyles and I would recommend it to anyone.

An intriguing history lesson, 18 Jun 2008
Running somewhat contrary to modern beliefs about how pirates behaved during their spare time, this book reveals some remarkable truths about an exceedingly Bohemian era. In fairness, the author does go a little 'overboard' with the seamen jokes, but who could really blame him for wanting to squeeze out every last drop? Anyhow, don't be misled by Burg's penchant for bawdy innuendo, for behind all the predictable gags about 'emptying the cannons' or 'entering the poop deck' etc. one finds an extremely engaging history of a rather ill-understood era. Judging from the first-hand sources presented within, you can forget what you saw in Pirates of the Caribbean! I doubt whether Johnny Depp would be quite so popular among teenage girls, had the makers demonstrated what a real-life pirate might have got up to beneath the deck- especially if the film had recreated the tale of some three-way action between one galleon's first-mate and cabin boy, as well as their peg-legged eunuch of a captain (who apparently triumphed over adversity, by uncovering new possibilities where others would merely spy limitations).

Anyway, I learned an enormous amount from this book, not least the etymological origins of the term 'buttpirate'. Incidentally, I understand that Burg is soon to publish a volume about the equally freewheeling behaviour that was rife among workers from the packing departments of Victorian factories (particularly within those that specialised in the production of sugar and butter based confectionary).

Sodomy for me, 16 Sep 2003
This is a great book about pirates and how they enjoyed sleeping naked in threes and buggering each other. I vastly enjoyed reading in detail about their sexual antics and I must confess that I fantasised several times about having a little pirate of my own. I strongly recommend you read this book.

Worth a second look (Or double take), 30 Mar 1999
Yes, most folks give a double take when they see the title to this volume. But really, it is quite informative about the life of a rover, and as the title suggests, it pulls no punches. A bit dry and overwordy at times, but definately worth a read.

Missing the point, 08 Jan 1999
I don't see how overexposing a subject like sodomy between pirates has much to do with their time. Sure, that was a part of their lives, but did it really have any part in establishing the new world? The book spends too much time on discussing how the bigger, stronger pirates dominated the smalller, weakers ones until the would let them perform sodomy? Big deal!! We all knew that pirates sleep 3 to a rack!!

BRAVO!!, 28 Dec 1998
This book is very indepth in explain how pirates would survive on long journies abroad by sleeping nude three to a bunk like spoons. With the weather conditions, that was their only means of survival. It makes one understand that sodomy was part of their lives, as they usually had several male lovers aboard the vessel. The chapter on hot racking was especially revealing, considering 90% of all pirates engaged in that. This is a very good book about pirates and their lifestyles and I would recommend it to anyone.

Overpowering Foucault, 30 Dec 2005
Sara Mills' text on Michel Foucault is part of a recent series put out by the Routledge Press, designed under the general editorial direction of Robert Eaglestone (Royal Holloway, University of London), to explore the most recent and exciting ideas in intellectual development during the past century or so. To this end, figures such as Martin Heidegger, Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jacques Derrida, Paul Ricouer and other influential thinkers in critical thought are highlighted in the series, planned to include more than 21 volumes in all.

Mills' text, following the pattern of the others, includes background information on Foucault and his significance, the key ideas and sources, and Foucault's continuing impact on other thinkers. As the series preface indicates, no critical thinker arises in a vacuum, so the context, influences and broader cultural environment are all important as a part of the study, something with which Foucault would agree.

Why is Foucault included in this series? Foucault is probably second only to Jacques Derrida in influence on thinkers in the field of critical theory and cultural studies, and his impact has gone far beyond narrow intellectual confines to influence psychology, politics, literature, sociology, philosophy, linguistics, history and anthropology. Mills indicates that Foucault's primary focus is on issues of power, knowledge and discourse, with influence in the development of a lot of `posts' - post-modernism, post-colonialism, post-Marxism, post-structualism, etc.

Foucault often concentrated on the ignored, the forgotten or the overlooked in his studies. In looking at the written confession of a murderer from generations ago, or looking at prisoners in present society, Foucault looks not only at the way power operates in practical settings, but what underpins the kind of power relationships. Heavily influenced by the events of 1968, with various forms of war and open rebellion going on across the globe (including Foucault's native French society), he had an inherent distrust for the kinds of power and society relationships considered standard. His work with prisoners and those classified as mentally ill challenged prevailing notions of the intentions of incarceration and even classification - perhaps we can see even more clearly in today's mass-media-saturated society the inconsistencies, not only of application, but of intention in the development of considering who is a criminal (and what their punishment and rehabilitation is likely to be) and who is considered mentally ill - the shift care to confinement and isolation (effective removal) from society gains new meaning from Foucault's analysis.

Foucault looks at power from a very basic position, not that of macroscopic geopolitical entities, but rather interpersonal relationships on a more local level, even exploring the way society uses body and sexuality as a root resource in formulating power relationships. It is worth noting that this issue is over the idea of the `body', and not the `individual', which for Foucault are not strictly synonymous. Looking at the history of sexuality (the freer periods of sexual frankness vis-à-vis the more strict and reserved periods such as the Victorian age) leads to another set of power relations often internalised and often overlooked.

One of the useful features of the text is the side-bar boxes inserted at various points. For example, during the discussion on Foucault's development of Power and Institutions, there are brief discussions, set apart from the primary strand of the text, on the Marxist idea of ideology, developing further this idea should the reader not be familiar with it, or at least not in the way with which Foucault would be working with ideas derived from it. Each section on a key idea spans approximately twenty pages, with a brief summary concluding each, which gives a recap of the ideas (and provides a handy reference). Some of the concluding sections in this volume (unlike other volumes in the series) are not as handy as a recap, but do connect the primary ideas with the next chapter.

The concluding chapter, After Foucault, highlights some key areas of development in relation to other thinkers, as well as points of possible exploration for the reader. Foucault's thought vis-à-vis feminist thought is dramatic and interesting, given Foucault's generally androcentric (and often misogynistic) stance in writing - still the issues of power relations and society are crucial to feminist critique. His post-colonialist ideas, again springing from the reformulation of power relationships in society after a dominant, foreign power is displaced, influenced further thinkers such as Edward Said. Foucault has (perhaps unintentionally) become useful for the anti-psychiatric lobby, as Foucault sees much defined as madness to be social construct rather than actual ailment (Foucault saw talk-therapy as a kind of modernised `confessional').

There was only one point at which I had a serious disagreement with Mills in her analysis of Foucault. At one point in discussing his tendency toward not developing fully thought-out theories, she speculates that his kind of approach could possibly be used `to justify fascism or to deny the existence of the Holocaust'. I would disagree with this assessment, given that this would not in fact discredit systems of power, but merely replace one with another. If fascism or Holocaust-deniers were not a power-in-potential, that might be true. But then, this is a point upon which much discussion could continue!

As do the other volumes in this series, Mills concludes with an annotated bibliography of works by Foucault (primarily those available in authoritative English translation), works on Foucault, and even internet references.

While this series focuses intentionally upon critical literary theory and cultural studies, in fact this is only the starting point. For Foucault (as for others in this series) the expanse is far too broad to be drawn into such narrow guidelines, and the important and impact of the ideas extends out into the whole range of intellectual development. As intellectual endeavours of every sort depend upon language, understanding, and interpretation, the thorough comprehension of how and why we know what we know is crucial.

An intriguing history lesson, 18 Jun 2008
Running somewhat contrary to modern beliefs about how pirates behaved during their spare time, this book reveals some remarkable truths about an exceedingly Bohemian era. In fairness, the author does go a little 'overboard' with the seamen jokes, but who could really blame him for wanting to squeeze out every last drop? Anyhow, don't be misled by Burg's penchant for bawdy innuendo, for behind all the predictable gags about 'emptying the cannons' or 'entering the poop deck' etc. one finds an extremely engaging history of a rather ill-understood era. Judging from the first-hand sources presented within, you can forget what you saw in Pirates of the Caribbean! I doubt whether Johnny Depp would be quite so popular among teenage girls, had the makers demonstrated what a real-life pirate might have got up to beneath the deck- especially if the film had recreated the tale of some three-way action between one galleon's first-mate and cabin boy, as well as their peg-legged eunuch of a captain (who apparently triumphed over adversity, by uncovering new possibilities where others would merely spy limitations).

Anyway, I learned an enormous amount from this book, not least the etymological origins of the term 'buttpirate'. Incidentally, I understand that Burg is soon to publish a volume about the equally freewheeling behaviour that was rife among workers from the packing departments of Victorian factories (particularly within those that specialised in the production of sugar and butter based confectionary).

Sodomy for me, 16 Sep 2003
This is a great book about pirates and how they enjoyed sleeping naked in threes and buggering each other. I vastly enjoyed reading in detail about their sexual antics and I must confess that I fantasised several times about having a little pirate of my own. I strongly recommend you read this book.

Worth a second look (Or double take), 30 Mar 1999
Yes, most folks give a double take when they see the title to this volume. But really, it is quite informative about the life of a rover, and as the title suggests, it pulls no punches. A bit dry and overwordy at times, but definately worth a read.

Missing the point, 08 Jan 1999
I don't see how overexposing a subject like sodomy between pirates has much to do with their time. Sure, that was a part of their lives, but did it really have any part in establishing the new world? The book spends too much time on discussing how the bigger, stronger pirates dominated the smalller, weakers ones until the would let them perform sodomy? Big deal!! We all knew that pirates sleep 3 to a rack!!

BRAVO!!, 28 Dec 1998
This book is very indepth in explain how pirates would survive on long journies abroad by sleeping nude three to a bunk like spoons. With the weather conditions, that was their only means of survival. It makes one understand that sodomy was part of their lives, as they usually had several male lovers aboard the vessel. The chapter on hot racking was especially revealing, considering 90% of all pirates engaged in that. This is a very good book about pirates and their lifestyles and I would recommend it to anyone.

Overpowering Foucault, 30 Dec 2005
Sara Mills' text on Michel Foucault is part of a recent series put out by the Routledge Press, designed under the general editorial direction of Robert Eaglestone (Royal Holloway, University of London), to explore the most recent and exciting ideas in intellectual development during the past century or so. To this end, figures such as Martin Heidegger, Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jacques Derrida, Paul Ricouer and other influential thinkers in critical thought are highlighted in the series, planned to include more than 21 volumes in all.

Mills' text, following the pattern of the others, includes background information on Foucault and his significance, the key ideas and sources, and Foucault's continuing impact on other thinkers. As the series preface indicates, no critical thinker arises in a vacuum, so the context, influences and broader cultural environment are all important as a part of the study, something with which Foucault would agree.

Why is Foucault included in this series? Foucault is probably second only to Jacques Derrida in influence on thinkers in the field of critical theory and cultural studies, and his impact has gone far beyond narrow intellectual confines to influence psychology, politics, literature, sociology, philosophy, linguistics, history and anthropology. Mills indicates that Foucault's primary focus is on issues of power, knowledge and discourse, with influence in the development of a lot of `posts' - post-modernism, post-colonialism, post-Marxism, post-structualism, etc.

Foucault often concentrated on the ignored, the forgotten or the overlooked in his studies. In looking at the written confession of a murderer from generations ago, or looking at prisoners in present society, Foucault looks not only at the way power operates in practical settings, but what underpins the kind of power relationships. Heavily influenced by the events of 1968, with various forms of war and open rebellion going on across the globe (including Foucault's native French society), he had an inherent distrust for the kinds of power and society relationships considered standard. His work with prisoners and those classified as mentally ill challenged prevailing notions of the intentions of incarceration and even classification - perhaps we can see even more clearly in today's mass-media-saturated society the inconsistencies, not only of application, but of intention in the development of considering who is a criminal (and what their punishment and rehabilitation is likely to be) and who is considered mentally ill - the shift care to confinement and isolation (effective removal) from society gains new meaning from Foucault's analysis.

Foucault looks at power from a very basic position, not that of macroscopic geopolitical entities, but rather interpersonal relationships on a more local level, even exploring the way society uses body and sexuality as a root resource in formulating power relationships. It is worth noting that this issue is over the idea of the `body', and not the `individual', which for Foucault are not strictly synonymous. Looking at the history of sexuality (the freer periods of sexual frankness vis-à-vis the more strict and reserved periods such as the Victorian age) leads to another set of power relations often internalised and often overlooked.

One of the useful features of the text is the side-bar boxes inserted at various points. For example, during the discussion on Foucault's development of Power and Institutions, there are brief discussions, set apart from the primary strand of the text, on the Marxist idea of ideology, developing further this idea should the reader not be familiar with it, or at least not in the way with which Foucault would be working with ideas derived from it. Each section on a key idea spans approximately twenty pages, with a brief summary concluding each, which gives a recap of the ideas (and provides a handy reference). Some of the concluding sections in this volume (unlike other volumes in the series) are not as handy as a recap, but do connect the primary ideas with the next chapter.

The concluding chapter, After Foucault, highlights some key areas of development in relation to other thinkers, as well as points of possible exploration for the reader. Foucault's thought vis-à-vis feminist thought is dramatic and interesting, given Foucault's generally androcentric (and often misogynistic) stance in writing - still the issues of power relations and society are crucial to feminist critique. His post-colonialist ideas, again springing from the reformulation of power relationships in society after a dominant, foreign power is displaced, influenced further thinkers such as Edward Said. Foucault has (perhaps unintentionally) become useful for the anti-psychiatric lobby, as Foucault sees much defined as madness to be social construct rather than actual ailment (Foucault saw talk-therapy as a kind of modernised `confessional').

There was only one point at which I had a serious disagreement with Mills in her analysis of Foucault. At one point in discussing his tendency toward not developing fully thought-out theories, she speculates that his kind of approach could possibly be used `to justify fascism or to deny the existence of the Holocaust'. I would disagree with this assessment, given that this would not in fact discredit systems of power, but merely replace one with another. If fascism or Holocaust-deniers were not a power-in-potential, that might be true. But then, this is a point upon which much discussion could continue!

As do the other volumes in this series, Mills concludes with an annotated bibliography of works by Foucault (primarily those available in authoritative English translation), works on Foucault, and even internet references.

While this series focuses intentionally upon critical literary theory and cultural studies, in fact this is only the starting point. For Foucault (as for others in this series) the expanse is far too broad to be drawn into such narrow guidelines, and the important and impact of the ideas extends out into the whole range of intellectual development. As intellectual endeavours of every sort depend upon language, understanding, and interpretation, the thorough comprehension of how and why we know what we know is crucial.

confusing and far too long, 30 Jun 2008
Davidson's previous book (Fishcakes and Courtesans) was one of the best things ever written on the Ancient World. By contrast, this one should have had the serious attentions of an editor, who would, first of all, have reduced its length by at least half. And then controlled Davidson's runaway propensity for slang terms, neologisms and typographical innovations, all of which are confusing and irritating. I do now believe I have read the whole book (to do so from cover to cover in the order it is written is impossible) but I am still not clear what he is trying to say: was homosexuality the accepted norm in ancient Greece or not? It seems, reading between the lines, that Davidson thinks it wasn't (in the earlier book, he says so more clearly), but then, what is he trying to say? As far as I can see, only that certain sorts of male-male relationships (not necessarily physical) were ritualized, in different ways in different places (big deal), and that some cities even had to pass legislation fobidding the condemnation of homosexuality (a gay lobby at work, even then).
The first one-third of the book is an entertaining read. After that, it's something for professional classicists only.

Too much personal investment?, 08 May 2008
James Davidson is a renowned classicist but sadly I feel that too much personal emotional investment in this topic has rather stilted or skewed his usual insightful readings. Romanticising the Greek ideal of elite masculine 'homosexuality' is not so much a reappraissal, I fear, as a throw-back to a more C19th view of the Greeks a la E.M.Forster et al who found a legitimisation of their own feelings.

I don't find the idea of male/male sex at all problematic but I don't feel that Davidson has added anything to the exemplary work already done (Winkler, Richlin etc)and elides too much of the politics of sex which is what makes classicial civilisation, Roman as well as Greek, both so fascinating and 'so good to think with'.

Always an erudite, witty and engaging writer, too much of this book was way too 'out there' (e.g. some of the readings of myth, Homer etc).

So overall I think this is an interesting book for the classical scholar aware of the debates and problems of uncovering ancient sexuality, but it is perhaps too misleading in its conclusions to the average interested reader.

Great book, 03 Dec 2007
Definitive study of homosexuality in Ancient Greece, written beautifully by an academic who really knows his stuff but is able to communicate it clearly to the world at large. Fluid prose with a witty edge.

An intriguing history lesson, 18 Jun 2008
Running somewhat contrary to modern beliefs about how pirates behaved during their spare time, this book reveals some remarkable truths about an exceedingly Bohemian era. In fairness, the author does go a little 'overboard' with the seamen jokes, but who could really blame him for wanting to squeeze out every last drop? Anyhow, don't be misled by Burg's penchant for bawdy innuendo, for behind all the predictable gags about 'emptying the cannons' or 'entering the poop deck' etc. one finds an extremely engaging history of a rather ill-understood era. Judging from the first-hand sources presented within, you can forget what you saw in Pirates of the Caribbean! I doubt whether Johnny Depp would be quite so popular among teenage girls, had the makers demonstrated what a real-life pirate might have got up to beneath the deck- especially if the film had recreated the tale of some three-way action between one galleon's first-mate and cabin boy, as well as their peg-legged eunuch of a captain (who apparently triumphed over adversity, by uncovering new possibilities where others would merely spy limitations).

Anyway, I learned an enormous amount from this book, not least the etymological origins of the term 'buttpirate'. Incidentally, I understand that Burg is soon to publish a volume about the equally freewheeling behaviour that was rife among workers from the packing departments of Victorian factories (particularly within those that specialised in the production of sugar and butter based confectionary).

Sodomy for me, 16 Sep 2003
This is a great book about pirates and how they enjoyed sleeping naked in threes and buggering each other. I vastly enjoyed reading in detail about their sexual antics and I must confess that I fantasised several times about having a little pirate of my own. I strongly recommend you read this book.

Worth a second look (Or double take), 30 Mar 1999
Yes, most folks give a double take when they see the title to this volume. But really, it is quite informative about the life of a rover, and as the title suggests, it pulls no punches. A bit dry and overwordy at times, but definately worth a read.

Missing the point, 08 Jan 1999
I don't see how overexposing a subject like sodomy between pirates has much to do with their time. Sure, that was a part of their lives, but did it really have any part in establishing the new world? The book spends too much time on discussing how the bigger, stronger pirates dominated the smalller, weakers ones until the would let them perform sodomy? Big deal!! We all knew that pirates sleep 3 to a rack!!

BRAVO!!, 28 Dec 1998
This book is very indepth in explain how pirates would survive on long journies abroad by sleeping nude three to a bunk like spoons. With the weather conditions, that was their only means of survival. It makes one understand that sodomy was part of their lives, as they usually had several male lovers aboard the vessel. The chapter on hot racking was especially revealing, considering 90% of all pirates engaged in that. This is a very good book about pirates and their lifestyles and I would recommend it to anyone.

Overpowering Foucault, 30 Dec 2005
Sara Mills' text on Michel Foucault is part of a recent series put out by the Routledge Press, designed under the general editorial direction of Robert Eaglestone (Royal Holloway, University of London), to explore the most recent and exciting ideas in intellectual development during the past century or so. To this end, figures such as Martin Heidegger, Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jacques Derrida, Paul Ricouer and other influential thinkers in critical thought are highlighted in the series, planned to include more than 21 volumes in all.

Mills' text, following the pattern of the others, includes background information on Foucault and his significance, the key ideas and sources, and Foucault's continuing impact on other thinkers. As the series preface indicates, no critical thinker arises in a vacuum, so the context, influences and broader cultural environment are all important as a part of the study, something with which Foucault would agree.

Why is Foucault included in this series? Foucault is probably second only to Jacques Derrida in influence on thinkers in the field of critical theory and cultural studies, and his impact has gone far beyond narrow intellectual confines to influence psychology, politics, literature, sociology, philosophy, linguistics, history and anthropology. Mills indicates that Foucault's primary focus is on issues of power, knowledge and discourse, with influence in the development of a lot of `posts' - post-modernism, post-colonialism, post-Marxism, post-structualism, etc.

Foucault often concentrated on the ignored, the forgotten or the overlooked in his studies. In looking at the written confession of a murderer from generations ago, or looking at prisoners in present society, Foucault looks not only at the way power operates in practical settings, but what underpins the kind of power relationships. Heavily influenced by the events of 1968, with various forms of war and open rebellion going on across the globe (including Foucault's native French society), he had an inherent distrust for the kinds of power and society relationships considered standard. His work with prisoners and those classified as mentally ill challenged prevailing notions of the intentions of incarceration and even classification - perhaps we can see even more clearly in today's mass-media-saturated society the inconsistencies, not only of application, but of intention in the development of considering who is a criminal (and what their punishment and rehabilitation is likely to be) and who is considered mentally ill - the shift care to confinement and isolation (effective removal) from society gains new meaning from Foucault's analysis.

Foucault looks at power from a very basic position, not that of macroscopic geopolitical entities, but rather interpersonal relationships on a more local level, even exploring the way society uses body and sexuality as a root resource in formulating power relationships. It is worth noting that this issue is over the idea of the `body', and not the `individual', which for Foucault are not strictly synonymous. Looking at the history of sexuality (the freer periods of sexual frankness vis-à-vis the more strict and reserved periods such as the Victorian age) leads to another set of power relations often internalised and often overlooked.

One of the useful features of the text is the side-bar boxes inserted at various points. For example, during the discussion on Foucault's development of Power and Institutions, there are brief discussions, set apart from the primary strand of the text, on the Marxist idea of ideology, developing further this idea should the reader not be familiar with it, or at least not in the way with which Foucault would be working with ideas derived from it. Each section on a key idea spans approximately twenty pages, with a brief summary concluding each, which gives a recap of the ideas (and provides a handy reference). Some of the concluding sections in this volume (unlike other volumes in the series) are not as handy as a recap, but do connect the primary ideas with the next chapter.

The concluding chapter, After Foucault, highlights some key areas of development in relation to other thinkers, as well as points of possible exploration for the reader. Foucault's thought vis-à-vis feminist thought is dramatic and interesting, given Foucault's generally androcentric (and often misogynistic) stance in writing - still the issues of power relations and society are crucial to feminist critique. His post-colonialist ideas, again springing from the reformulation of power relationships in society after a dominant, foreign power is displaced, influenced further thinkers such as Edward Said. Foucault has (perhaps unintentionally) become useful for the anti-psychiatric lobby, as Foucault sees much defined as madness to be social construct rather than actual ailment (Foucault saw talk-therapy as a kind of modernised `confessional').

There was only one point at which I had a serious disagreement with Mills in her analysis of Foucault. At one point in discussing his tendency toward not developing fully thought-out theories, she speculates that his kind of approach could possibly be used `to justify fascism or to deny the existence of the Holocaust'. I would disagree with this assessment, given that this would not in fact discredit systems of power, but merely replace one with another. If fascism or Holocaust-deniers were not a power-in-potential, that might be true. But then, this is a point upon which much discussion could continue!

As do the other volumes in this series, Mills concludes with an annotated bibliography of works by Foucault (primarily those available in authoritative English translation), works on Foucault, and even internet references.

While this series focuses intentionally upon critical literary theory and cultural studies, in fact this is only the starting point. For Foucault (as for others in this series) the expanse is far too broad to be drawn into such narrow guidelines, and the important and impact of the ideas extends out into the whole range of intellectual development. As intellectual endeavours of every sort depend upon language, understanding, and interpretation, the thorough comprehension of how and why we know what we know is crucial.

confusing and far too long, 30 Jun 2008
Davidson's previous book (Fishcakes and Courtesans) was one of the best things ever written on the Ancient World. By contrast, this one should have had the serious attentions of an editor, who would, first of all, have reduced its length by at least half. And then controlled Davidson's runaway propensity for slang terms, neologisms and typographical innovations, all of which are confusing and irritating. I do now believe I have read the whole book (to do so from cover to cover in the order it is written is impossible) but I am still not clear what he is trying to say: was homosexuality the accepted norm in ancient Greece or not? It seems, reading between the lines, that Davidson thinks it wasn't (in the earlier book, he says so more clearly), but then, what is he trying to say? As far as I can see, only that certain sorts of male-male relationships (not necessarily physical) were ritualized, in different ways in different places (big deal), and that some cities even had to pass legislation fobidding the condemnation of homosexuality (a gay lobby at work, even then).
The first one-third of the book is an entertaining read. After that, it's something for professional classicists only.

Too much personal investment?, 08 May 2008
James Davidson is a renowned classicist but sadly I feel that too much personal emotional investment in this topic has rather stilted or skewed his usual insightful readings. Romanticising the Greek ideal of elite masculine 'homosexuality' is not so much a reappraissal, I fear, as a throw-back to a more C19th view of the Greeks a la E.M.Forster et al who found a legitimisation of their own feelings.

I don't find the idea of male/male sex at all problematic but I don't feel that Davidson has added anything to the exemplary work already done (Winkler, Richlin etc)and elides too much of the politics of sex which is what makes classicial civilisation, Roman as well as Greek, both so fascinating and 'so good to think with'.

Always an erudite, witty and engaging writer, too much of this book was way too 'out there' (e.g. some of the readings of myth, Homer etc).

So overall I think this is an interesting book for the classical scholar aware of the debates and problems of uncovering ancient sexuality, but it is perhaps too misleading in its conclusions to the average interested reader.

Great book, 03 Dec 2007
Definitive study of homosexuality in Ancient Greece, written beautifully by an academic who really knows his stuff but is able to communicate it clearly to the world at large. Fluid prose with a witty edge.

Excellent and highly readable, 04 Mar 2007
This is a thoroughly well researched academic book but you immediately notice how easy it is to read with a perfect balance between precise analysis and accessibility. The book uses numerous personal stories and examples to illustrate the various points and really draws you into the complex lives that were necessary for its subjects and the shadowy world they were forced to inhabit. This book will interest anyone who has even a passing interest in the subject and is well worth reading. It even looks good on your coffee table.

Interesting account of a previous time, but not a light read, 08 Feb 2006
If you're a gay man living in London in 2006, and you're regularly out on the scene, you have lots of gay friends, you perhaps go on gay holidays, you shop at gay stores, and are out at work, and you are generally proud of yourself ... but you sometimes wonder what life might have been like for your equivalents fifty years ago... then this book might shed some light on that question. Read it and realise how far we have come in that time. Here is a description of the entirely underground, secretive world with which you would have had to engage should you just have wanted to have a drink with like-minded souls in London in the first half of the 20th century. Don't let anyone tell you "things were better in the old days" because here is definite evidence to the contrary - things were quite obviously very bad indeed at that time for London's gay men, and presumably worse in the provinces.

Don't expect amusing anecdotes though - the tone of the book is somewhat dry, and there are very few illustrations, but this is not meant to be light-hearted reading by any means - more a valid document of a difficult subject.

An intriguing history lesson, 18 Jun 2008
Running somewhat contrary to modern beliefs about how pirates behaved during their spare time, this book reveals some remarkable truths about an exceedingly Bohemian era. In fairness, the author does go a little 'overboard' with the seamen jokes, but who could really blame him for wanting to squeeze out every last drop? Anyhow, don't be misled by Burg's penchant for bawdy innuendo, for behind all the predictable gags about 'emptying the cannons' or 'entering the poop deck' etc. one finds an extremely engaging history of a rather ill-understood era. Judging from the first-hand sources presented within, you can forget what you saw in Pirates of the Caribbean! I doubt whether Johnny Depp would be quite so popular among teenage girls, had the makers demonstrated what a real-life pirate might have got up to beneath the deck- especially if the film had recreated the tale of some three-way action between one galleon's first-mate and cabin boy, as well as their peg-legged eunuch of a captain (who apparently triumphed over adversity, by uncovering new possibilities where others would merely spy limitations).

Anyway, I learned an enormous amount from this book, not least the etymological origins of the term 'buttpirate'. Incidentally, I understand that Burg is soon to publish a volume about the equally freewheeling behaviour that was rife among workers from the packing departments of Victorian factories (particularly within those that specialised in the production of sugar and butter based confectionary).

Sodomy for me, 16 Sep 2003
This is a great book about pirates and how they enjoyed sleeping naked in threes and buggering each other. I vastly enjoyed reading in detail about their sexual antics and I must confess that I fantasised several times about having a little pirate of my own. I strongly recommend you read this book.

Worth a second look (Or double take), 30 Mar 1999
Yes, most folks give a double take when they see the title to this volume. But really, it is quite informative about the life of a rover, and as the title suggests, it pulls no punches. A bit dry and overwordy at times, but definately worth a read.

Missing the point, 08 Jan 1999
I don't see how overexposing a subject like sodomy between pirates has much to do with their time. Sure, that was a part of their lives, but did it really have any part in establishing the new world? The book spends too much time on discussing how the bigger, stronger pirates dominated the smalller, weakers ones until the would let them perform sodomy? Big deal!! We all knew that pirates sleep 3 to a rack!!

BRAVO!!, 28 Dec 1998
This book is very indepth in explain how pirates would survive on long journies abroad by sleeping nude three to a bunk like spoons. With the weather conditions, that was their only means of survival. It makes one understand that sodomy was part of their lives, as they usually had several male lovers aboard the vessel. The chapter on hot racking was especially revealing, considering 90% of all pirates engaged in that. This is a very good book about pirates and their lifestyles and I would recommend it to anyone.

Overpowering Foucault, 30 Dec 2005
Sara Mills' text on Michel Foucault is part of a recent series put out by the Routledge Press, designed under the general editorial direction of Robert Eaglestone (Royal Holloway, University of London), to explore the most recent and exciting ideas in intellectual development during the past century or so. To this end, figures such as Martin Heidegger, Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jacques Derrida, Paul Ricouer and other influential thinkers in critical thought are highlighted in the series, planned to include more than 21 volumes in all.

Mills' text, following the pattern of the others, includes background information on Foucault and his significance, the key ideas and sources, and Foucault's continuing impact on other thinkers. As the series preface indicates, no critical thinker arises in a vacuum, so the context, influences and broader cultural environment are all important as a part of the study, something with which Foucault would agree.

Why is Foucault included in this series? Foucault is probably second only to Jacques Derrida in influence on thinkers in the field of critical theory and cultural studies, and his impact has gone far beyond narrow intellectual confines to influence psychology, politics, literature, sociology, philosophy, linguistics, history and anthropology. Mills indicates that Foucault's primary focus is on issues of power, knowledge and discourse, with influence in the development of a lot of `posts' - post-modernism, post-colonialism, post-Marxism, post-structualism, etc.

Foucault often concentrated on the ignored, the forgotten or the overlooked in his studies. In looking at the written confession of a murderer from generations ago, or looking at prisoners in present society, Foucault looks not only at the way power operates in practical settings, but what underpins the kind of power relationships. Heavily influenced by the events of 1968, with various forms of war and open rebellion going on across the globe (including Foucault's native French society), he had an inherent distrust for the kinds of power and society relationships considered standard. His work with prisoners and those classified as mentally ill challenged prevailing notions of the intentions of incarceration and even classification - perhaps we can see even more clearly in today's mass-media-saturated society the inconsistencies, not only of application, but of intention in the development of considering who is a criminal (and what their punishment and rehabilitation is likely to be) and who is considered mentally ill - the shift care to confinement and isolation (effective removal) from society gains new meaning from Foucault's analysis.

Foucault looks at power from a very basic position, not that of macroscopic geopolitical entities, but rather interpersonal relationships on a more local level, even exploring the way society uses body and sexuality as a root resource in formulating power relationships. It is worth noting that this issue is over the idea of the `body', and not the `individual', which for Foucault are not strictly synonymous. Looking at the history of sexuality (the freer periods of sexual frankness vis-à-vis the more strict and reserved periods such as the Victorian age) leads to another set of power relations often internalised and often overlooked.

One of the useful features of the text is the side-bar boxes inserted at various points. For example, during the discussion on Foucault's development of Power and Institutions, there are brief discussions, set apart from the primary strand of the text, on the Marxist idea of ideology, developing further this idea should the reader not be familiar with it, or at least not in the way with which Foucault would be working with ideas derived from it. Each section on a key idea spans approximately twenty pages, with a brief summary concluding each, which gives a recap of the ideas (and provides a handy reference). Some of the concluding sections in this volume (unlike other volumes in the series) are not as handy as a recap, but do connect the primary ideas with the next chapter.

The concluding chapter, After Foucault, highlights some key areas of development in relation to other thinkers, as well as points of possible exploration for the reader. Foucault's thought vis-à-vis feminist thought is dramatic and interesting, given Foucault's generally androcentric (and often misogynistic) stance in writing - still the issues of power relations and society are crucial to feminist critique. His post-colonialist ideas, again springing from the reformulation of power relationships in society after a dominant, foreign power is displaced, influenced further thinkers such as Edward Said. Foucault has (perhaps unintentionally) become useful for the anti-psychiatric lobby, as Foucault sees much defined as madness to be social construct rather than actual ailment (Foucault saw talk-therapy as a kind of modernised `confessional').

There was only one point at which I had a serious disagreement with Mills in her analysis of Foucault. At one point in discussing his tendency toward not developing fully thought-out theories, she speculates that his kind of approach could possibly be used `to justify fascism or to deny the existence of the Holocaust'. I would disagree with this assessment, given that this would not in fact discredit systems of power, but merely replace one with another. If fascism or Holocaust-deniers were not a power-in-potential, that might be true. But then, this is a point upon which much discussion could continue!

As do the other volumes in this series, Mills concludes with an annotated bibliography of works by Foucault (primarily those available in authoritative English translation), works on Foucault, and even internet references.

While this series focuses intentionally upon critical literary theory and cultural studies, in fact this is only the starting point. For Foucault (as for others in this series) the expanse is far too broad to be drawn into such narrow guidelines, and the important and impact of the ideas extends out into the whole range of intellectual development. As intellectual endeavours of every sort depend upon language, understanding, and interpretation, the thorough comprehension of how and why we know what we know is crucial.

confusing and far too long, 30 Jun 2008
Davidson's previous book (Fishcakes and Courtesans) was one of the best things ever written on the Ancient World. By contrast, this one should have had the serious attentions of an editor, who would, first of all, have reduced its length by at least half. And then controlled Davidson's runaway propensity for slang terms, neologisms and typographical innovations, all of which are confusing and irritating. I do now believe I have read the whole book (to do so from cover to cover in the order it is written is impossible) but I am still not clear what he is trying to say: was homosexuality the accepted norm in ancient Greece or not? It seems, reading between the lines, that Davidson thinks it wasn't (in the earlier book, he says so more clearly), but then, what is he trying to say? As far as I can see, only that certain sorts of male-male relationships (not necessarily physical) were ritualized, in different ways in different places (big deal), and that some cities even had to pass legislation fobidding the condemnation of homosexuality (a gay lobby at work, even then).
The first one-third of the book is an entertaining read. After that, it's something for professional classicists only.

Too much personal investment?, 08 May 2008
James Davidson is a renowned classicist but sadly I feel that too much personal emotional investment in this topic has rather stilted or skewed his usual insightful readings. Romanticising the Greek ideal of elite masculine 'homosexuality' is not so much a reappraissal, I fear, as a throw-back to a more C19th view of the Greeks a la E.M.Forster et al who found a legitimisation of their own feelings.

I don't find the idea of male/male sex at all problematic but I don't feel that Davidson has added anything to the exemplary work already done (Winkler, Richlin etc)and elides too much of the politics of sex which is what makes classicial civilisation, Roman as well as Greek, both so fascinating and 'so good to think with'.

Always an erudite, witty and engaging writer, too much of this book was way too 'out there' (e.g. some of the readings of myth, Homer etc).

So overall I think this is an interesting book for the classical scholar aware of the debates and problems of uncovering ancient sexuality, but it is perhaps too misleading in its conclusions to the average interested reader.

Great book, 03 Dec 2007
Definitive study of homosexuality in Ancient Greece, written beautifully by an academic who really knows his stuff but is able to communicate it clearly to the world at large. Fluid prose with a witty edge.

Excellent and highly readable, 04 Mar 2007
This is a thoroughly well researched academic book but you immediately notice how easy it is to read with a perfect balance between precise analysis and accessibility. The book uses numerous personal stories and examples to illustrate the various points and really draws you into the complex lives that were necessary for its subjects and the shadowy world they were forced to inhabit. This book will interest anyone who has even a passing interest in the subject and is well worth reading. It even looks good on your coffee table.

Interesting account of a previous time, but not a light read, 08 Feb 2006
If you're a gay man living in London in 2006, and you're regularly out on the scene, you have lots of gay friends, you perhaps go on gay holidays, you shop at gay stores, and are out at work, and you are generally proud of yourself ... but you sometimes wonder what life might have been like for your equivalents fifty years ago... then this book might shed some light on that question. Read it and realise how far we have come in that time. Here is a description of the entirely underground, secretive world with which you would have had to engage should you just have wanted to have a drink with like-minded souls in London in the first half of the 20th century. Don't let anyone tell you "things were better in the old days" because here is definite evidence to the contrary - things were quite obviously very bad indeed at that time for London's gay men, and presumably worse in the provinces.

Don't expect amusing anecdotes though - the tone of the book is somewhat dry, and there are very few illustrations, but this is not meant to be light-hearted reading by any means - more a valid document of a difficult subject.

A skilled psychoanalysis of national identity and foreigness, 12 Jun 2001
In this book Kristeva outlines our fear and distaste for the stranger. Following on from her previous work in Powers of Horror, among others, she demonstrates how the foreigner evokes a powerful dislike among us by appearing to be the same while actually displaying a curious, and undefinable difference. She clearly expresses the concept that human groups are identified and bolstered more by who is not included than by who is. By drawing on Freud's ideas of the uncanny and the unconscious she shows that the foreigner actually highlights the curious differences that exist within us all. It is these differences, created by our unconscious mind, that we fear and that cause us to form exclusive groups. These groups aim to conceal individual differences of their members by highlighting the strangeness of outsiders. It is only by coming to terms with our individual strangeness, our unconscious, that we can come to terms with, and truly accept, foreigners. It is only through this process that the human race can unite in a spirit of brotherly love. Kristeva accomplishes marvelous things here. In a short trip through history she illustrates the development of human groups and their damaging potential. She applies advanced psychological and social theory in a novel, but clever way, to a major problem facing the modern world and comes up with her own, unique, solution.

An intriguing history lesson, 18 Jun 2008
Running somewhat contrary to modern beliefs about how pirates behaved during their spare time, this book reveals some remarkable truths about an exceedingly Bohemian era. In fairness, the author does go a little 'overboard' with the seamen jokes, but who could really blame him for wanting to squeeze out every last drop? Anyhow, don't be misled by Burg's penchant for bawdy innuendo, for behind all the predictable gags about 'emptying the cannons' or 'entering the poop deck' etc. one finds an extremely engaging history of a rather ill-understood era. Judging from the first-hand sources presented within, you can forget what you saw in Pirates of the Caribbean! I doubt whether Johnny Depp would be quite so popular among teenage girls, had the makers demonstrated what a real-life pirate might have got up to beneath the deck- especially if the film had recreated the tale of some three-way action between one galleon's first-mate and cabin boy, as well as their peg-legged eunuch of a captain (who apparently triumphed over adversity, by uncovering new possibilities where others would merely spy limitations).

Anyway, I learned an enormous amount from this book, not least the etymological origins of the term 'buttpirate'. Incidentally, I understand that Burg is soon to publish a volume about the equally freewheeling behaviour that was rife among workers from the packing departments of Victorian factories (particularly within those that specialised in the production of sugar and butter based confectionary).

Sodomy for me, 16 Sep 2003
This is a great book about pirates and how they enjoyed sleeping naked in threes and buggering each other. I vastly enjoyed reading in detail about their sexual antics and I must confess that I fantasised several times about having a little pirate of my own. I strongly recommend you read this book.

Worth a second look (Or double take), 30 Mar 1999
Yes, most folks give a double take when they see the title to this volume. But really, it is quite informative about the life of a rover, and as the title suggests, it pulls no punches. A bit dry and overwordy at times, but definately worth a read.

Missing the point, 08 Jan 1999
I don't see how overexposing a subject like sodomy between pirates has much to do with their time. Sure, that was a part of their lives, but did it really have any part in establishing the new world? The book spends too much time on discussing how the bigger, stronger pirates dominated the smalller, weakers ones until the would let them perform sodomy? Big deal!! We all knew that pirates sleep 3 to a rack!!

BRAVO!!, 28 Dec 1998
This book is very indepth in explain how pirates would survive on long journies abroad by sleeping nude three to a bunk like spoons. With the weather conditions, that was their only means of survival. It makes one understand that sodomy was part of their lives, as they usually had several male lovers aboard the vessel. The chapter on hot racking was especially revealing, considering 90% of all pirates engaged in that. This is a very good book about pirates and their lifestyles and I would recommend it to anyone.

Overpowering Foucault, 30 Dec 2005
Sara Mills' text on Michel Foucault is part of a recent series put out by the Routledge Press, designed under the general editorial direction of Robert Eaglestone (Royal Holloway, University of London), to explore the most recent and exciting ideas in intellectual development during the past century or so. To this end, figures such as Martin Heidegger, Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jacques Derrida, Paul Ricouer and other influential thinkers in critical thought are highlighted in the series, planned to include more than 21 volumes in all.

Mills' text, following the pattern of the others, includes background information on Foucault and his significance, the key ideas and sources, and Foucault's continuing impact on other thinkers. As the series preface indicates, no critical thinker arises in a vacuum, so the context, influences and broader cultural environment are all important as a part of the study, something with which Foucault would agree.

Why is Foucault included in this series? Foucault is probably second only to Jacques Derrida in influence on thinkers in the field of critical theory and cultural studies, and his impact has gone far beyond narrow intellectual confines to influence psychology, politics, literature, sociology, philosophy, linguistics, history and anthropology. Mills indicates that Foucault's primary focus is on issues of power, knowledge and discourse, with influence in the development of a lot of `posts' - post-modernism, post-colonialism, post-Marxism, post-structualism, etc.

Foucault often concentrated on the ignored, the forgotten or the overlooked in his studies. In looking at the written confession of a murderer from generations ago, or looking at prisoners in present society, Foucault looks not only at the way power operates in practical settings, but what underpins the kind of power relationships. Heavily influenced by the events of 1968, with various forms of war and open rebellion going on across the globe (including Foucault's native French society), he had an inherent distrust for the kinds of power and society relationships considered standard. His work with prisoners and those classified as mentally ill challenged prevailing notions of the intentions of incarceration and even classification - perhaps we can see even more clearly in today's mass-media-saturated society the inconsistencies, not only of application, but of intention in the development of considering who is a criminal (and what their punishment and rehabilitation is likely to be) and who is considered mentally ill - the shift care to confinement and isolation (effective removal) from society gains new meaning from Foucault's analysis.

Foucault looks at power from a very basic position, not that of macroscopic geopolitical entities, but rather interpersonal relationships on a more local level, even exploring the way society uses body and sexuality as a root resource in formulating power relationships. It is worth noting that this issue is over the idea of the `body', and not the `individual', which for Foucault are not strictly synonymous. Looking at the history of sexuality (the freer periods of sexual frankness vis-à-vis the more strict and reserved periods such as the Victorian age) leads to another set of power relations often internalised and often overlooked.

One of the useful features of the text is the side-bar boxes inserted at various points. For example, during the discussion on Foucault's development of Power and Institutions, there are brief discussions, set apart from the primary strand of the text, on the Marxist idea of ideology, developing further this idea should the reader not be familiar with it, or at least not in the way with which Foucault would be working with ideas derived from it. Each section on a key idea spans approximately twenty pages, with a brief summary concluding each, which gives a recap of the ideas (and provides a handy reference). Some of the concluding sections in this volume (unlike other volumes in the series) are not as handy as a recap, but do connect the primary ideas with the next chapter.

The concluding chapter, After Foucault, highlights some key areas of development in relation to other thinkers, as well as points of possible exploration for the reader. Foucault's thought vis-à-vis feminist thought is dramatic and interesting, given Foucault's generally androcentric (and often misogynistic) stance in writing - still the issues of power relations and society are crucial to feminist critique. His post-colonialist ideas, again springing from the reformulation of power relationships in society after a dominant, foreign power is displaced, influenced further thinkers such as Edward Said. Foucault has (perhaps unintentionally) become useful for the anti-psychiatric lobby, as Foucault sees much defined as madness to be social construct rather than actual ailment (Foucault saw talk-therapy as a kind of modernised `confessional').

There was only one point at which I had a serious disagreement with Mills in her analysis of Foucault. At one point in discussing his tendency toward not developing fully thought-out theories, she speculates that his kind of approach could possibly be used `to justify fascism or to deny the existence of the Holocaust'. I would disagree with this assessment, given that this would not in fact discredit systems of power, but merely replace one with another. If fascism or Holocaust-deniers were not a power-in-potential, that might be true. But then, this is a point upon which much discussion could continue!

As do the other volumes in this series, Mills concludes with an annotated bibliography of works by Foucault (primarily those available in authoritative English translation), works on Foucault, and even internet references.

While this series focuses intentionally upon critical literary theory and cultural studies, in fact this is only the starting point. For Foucault (as for others in this series) the expanse is far too broad to be drawn into such narrow guidelines, and the important and impact of the ideas extends out into the whole range of intellectual development. As intellectual endeavours of every sort depend upon language, understanding, and interpretation, the thorough comprehension of how and why we know what we know is crucial.

confusing and far too long, 30 Jun 2008
Davidson's previous book (Fishcakes and Courtesans) was one of the best things ever written on the Ancient World. By contrast, this one should have had the serious attentions of an editor, who would, first of all, have reduced its length by at least half. And then controlled Davidson's runaway propensity for slang terms, neologisms and typographical innovations, all of which are confusing and irritating. I do now believe I have read the whole book (to do so from cover to cover in the order it is written is impossible) but I am still not clear what he is trying to say: was homosexuality the accepted norm in ancient Greece or not? It seems, reading between the lines, that Davidson thinks it wasn't (in the earlier book, he says so more clearly), but then, what is he trying to say? As far as I can see, only that certain sorts of male-male relationships (not necessarily physical) were ritualized, in different ways in different places (big deal), and that some cities even had to pass legislation fobidding the condemnation of homosexuality (a gay lobby at work, even then).
The first one-third of the book is an entertaining read. After that, it's something for professional classicists only.

Too much personal investment?, 08 May 2008
James Davidson is a renowned classicist but sadly I feel that too much personal emotional investment in this topic has rather stilted or skewed his usual insightful readings. Romanticising the Greek ideal of elite masculine 'homosexuality' is not so much a reappraissal, I fear, as a throw-back to a more C19th view of the Greeks a la E.M.Forster et al who found a legitimisation of their own feelings.

I don't find the idea of male/male sex at all problematic but I don't feel that Davidson has added anything to the exemplary work already done (Winkler, Richlin etc)and elides too much of the politics of sex which is what makes classicial civilisation, Roman as well as Greek, both so fascinating and 'so good to think with'.

Always an erudite, witty and engaging writer, too much of this book was way too 'out there' (e.g. some of the readings of myth, Homer etc).

So overall I think this is an interesting book for the classical scholar aware of the debates and problems of uncovering ancient sexuality, but it is perhaps too misleading in its conclusions to the average interested reader.

Great book, 03 Dec 2007
Definitive study of homosexuality in Ancient Greece, written beautifully by an academic who really knows his stuff but is able to communicate it clearly to the world at large. Fluid prose with a witty edge.

Excellent and highly readable, 04 Mar 2007
This is a thoroughly well researched academic book but you immediately notice how easy it is to read with a perfect balance between precise analysis and accessibility. The book uses numerous personal stories and examples to illustrate the various points and really draws you into the complex lives that were necessary for its subjects and the shadowy world they were forced to inhabit. This book will interest anyone who has even a passing interest in the subject and is well worth reading. It even looks good on your coffee table.

Interesting account of a previous time, but not a light read, 08 Feb 2006
If you're a gay man living in London in 2006, and you're regularly out on the scene, you have lots of gay friends, you perhaps go on gay holidays, you shop at gay stores, and are out at work, and you are generally proud of yourself ... but you sometimes wonder what life might have been like for your equivalents fifty years ago... then this book might shed some light on that question. Read it and realise how far we have come in that time. Here is a description of the entirely underground, secretive world with which you would have had to engage should you just have wanted to have a drink with like-minded souls in London in the first half of the 20th century. Don't let anyone tell you "things were better in the old days" because here is definite evidence to the contrary - things were quite obviously very bad indeed at that time for London's gay men, and presumably worse in the provinces.

Don't expect amusing anecdotes though - the tone of the book is somewhat dry, and there are very few illustrations, but this is not meant to be light-hearted reading by any means - more a valid document of a difficult subject.

A skilled psychoanalysis of national identity and foreigness, 12 Jun 2001
In this book Kristeva outlines our fear and distaste for the stranger. Following on from her previous work in Powers of Horror, among others, she demonstrates how the foreigner evokes a powerful dislike among us by appearing to be the same while actually displaying a curious, and undefinable difference. She clearly expresses the concept that human groups are identified and bolstered more by who is not included than by who is. By drawing on Freud's ideas of the uncanny and the unconscious she shows that the foreigner actually highlights the curious differences that exist within us all. It is these differences, created by our unconscious mind, that we fear and that cause us to form exclusive groups. These groups aim to conceal individual differences of their members by highlighting the strangeness of outsiders. It is only by coming to terms with our individual strangeness, our unconscious, that we can come to terms with, and truly accept, foreigners. It is only through this process that the human race can unite in a spirit of brotherly love. Kristeva accomplishes marvelous things here. In a short trip through history she illustrates the development of human groups and their damaging potential. She applies advanced psychological and social theory in a novel, but clever way, to a major problem facing the modern world and comes up with her own, unique, solution.

Useful!, 20 Jul 2005
I wrote an essay about homosexuality and homoeroticism in a play. This book helped me immensly with certain aspects I did not know about or hadn't even thought of talking about! It's very thorough. However, the use of quite difficult language can be off putting. But if you are interested in the subjbext in anyway it's a great read. I enjoyed it and made plenty of notes and know lots more than I already did about the issues, and many would say I was already an encyclopedia on the topic!!
Definatly worth a read!

A must for gender studies., 01 Dec 2001
Jonathan Dollimore's book is a very intersting examination and analysis of the sexual subject. The book is of great help to those examining sexuality, specially masochism. I used this book for my thesis on understanding sexuality and analysis of desire (eg masochism, sexual labelling, psychoanalytical evidences etc).
Jonathan Dollimore presents the most complex theories in an easily readable, and engaging style. The refrences he uses to back up his ideas are very relevant and thought provoking.
The book is very valuable to those interested in writing academic papers on the subject of sexual labelling, queer masculinities and analysis of sexuality.
For others, it is a fascinating, very resourceful book that seems to be sadly under rated.

An intriguing history lesson, 18 Jun 2008
Running somewhat contrary to modern beliefs about how pirates behaved during their spare time, this book reveals some remarkable truths about an exceedingly Bohemian era. In fairness, the author does go a little 'overboard' with the seamen jokes, but who could really blame him for wanting to squeeze out every last drop? Anyhow, don't be misled by Burg's penchant for bawdy innuendo, for behind all the predictable gags about 'emptying the cannons' or 'entering the poop deck' etc. one finds an extremely engaging history of a rather ill-understood era. Judging from the first-hand sources presented within, you can forget what you saw in Pirates of the Caribbean! I doubt whether Johnny Depp would be quite so popular among teenage girls, had the makers demonstrated what a real-life pirate might have got up to beneath the deck- especially if the film had recreated the tale of some three-way action between one galleon's first-mate and cabin boy, as well as their peg-legged eunuch of a captain (who apparently triumphed over adversity, by uncovering new possibilities where others would merely spy limitations).

Anyway, I learned an enormous amount from this book, not least the etymological origins of the term 'buttpirate'. Incidentally, I understand that Burg is soon to publish a volume about the equally freewheeling behaviour that was rife among workers from the packing departments of Victorian factories (particularly within those that specialised in the production of sugar and butter based confectionary).

Sodomy for me, 16 Sep 2003
This is a great book about pirates and how they enjoyed sleeping naked in threes and buggering each other. I vastly enjoyed reading in detail about their sexual antics and I must confess that I fantasised several times about having a little pirate of my own. I strongly recommend you read this book.

Worth a second look (Or double take), 30 Mar 1999
Yes, most folks give a double take when they see the title to this volume. But really, it is quite informative about the life of a rover, and as the title suggests, it pulls no punches. A bit dry and overwordy at times, but definately worth a read.

Missing the point, 08 Jan 1999
I don't see how overexposing a subject like sodomy between pirates has much to do with their time. Sure, that was a part of their lives, but did it really have any part in establishing the new world? The book spends too much time on discussing how the bigger, stronger pirates dominated the smalller, weakers ones until the would let them perform sodomy? Big deal!! We all knew that pirates sleep 3 to a rack!!

BRAVO!!, 28 Dec 1998
This book is very indepth in explain how pirates would survive on long journies abroad by sleeping nude three to a bunk like spoons. With the weather conditions, that was their only means of survival. It makes one understand that sodomy was part of their lives, as they usually had several male lovers aboard the vessel. The chapter on hot racking was especially revealing, considering 90% of all pirates engaged in that. This is a very good book about pirates and their lifestyles and I would recommend it to anyone.

Overpowering Foucault, 30 Dec 2005
Sara Mills' text on Michel Foucault is part of a recent series put out by the Routledge Press, designed under the general editorial direction of Robert Eaglestone (Royal Holloway, University of London), to explore the most recent and exciting ideas in intellectual development during the past century or so. To this end, figures such as Martin Heidegger, Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, Jacques Derrida, Paul Ricouer and other influential thinkers in critical thought are highlighted in the series, planned to include more than 21 volumes in all.

Mills' text, following the pattern of the others, includes background information on Foucault and his significance, the key ideas and sources, and Foucault's continuing impact on other thinkers. As the series preface indicates, no critical thinker arises in a vacuum, so the context, influences and broader cultural environment are all important as a part of the study, something with which Foucault would agree.

Why is Foucault included in this series? Foucault is probably second only to Jacques Derrida in influence on thinkers in the field of critical theory and cultural studies, and his impact has gone far beyond narrow intellectual confines to influence psychology, politics, literature, sociology, philosophy, linguistics, history and anthropology. Mills indicates that Foucault's primary focus is on issues of power, knowledge and discourse, with influence in the development of a lot of `posts' - post-modernism, post-colonialism, post-Marxism, post-structualism, etc.

Foucault often concentrated on the ignored, the forgotten or the overlooked in his studies. In looking at the written confession of a murderer from generations ago, or looking at prisoners in present society, Foucault looks not only at the way power operates in practical settings, but what underpins the kind of power relationships. Heavily influenced by the events of 1968, with various forms of war and open rebellion going on across the globe (including Foucault's native French society), he had an inherent distrust for the kinds of power and society relationships considered standard. His work with prisoners and those classified as mentally ill challenged prevailing notions of the intentions of incarceration and even classification - perhaps we can see even more clearly in today's mass-media-saturated society the inconsistencies, not only of application, but of intention in the development of considering who is a criminal (and what their punishment and rehabilitation is likely to be) and who is considered mentally ill - the shift care to confinement and isolation (effective removal) from society gains new meaning from Foucault's analysis.

Foucault looks at power from a very basic position, not that of macroscopic geopolitical entities, but rather interpersonal relationships on a more local level, even exploring the way society uses body and sexuality as a root resource in formulating power relationships. It is worth noting that this issue is over the idea of the `body', and not the `individual', which for Foucault are not strictly synonymous. Looking at the history of sexuality (the freer periods of sexual frankness vis-à-vis the more strict and reserved periods such as the Victorian age) leads to another set of power relations often internalised and often overlooked.

One of the useful features of the text is the side-bar boxes inserted at various points. For example, during the discussion on Foucault's development of Power and Institutions, there are brief discussions, set apart from the primary strand of the text, on the Marxist idea of ideology, developing further this idea should the reader not be familiar with it, or at least not in the way with which Foucault would be working with ideas derived from it. Each section on a key idea spans approximately twenty pages, with a brief summary concluding each, which gives a recap of the ideas (and provides a handy reference). Some of the concluding sections in this volume (unlike other volumes in the series) are not as handy as a recap, but do connect the primary ideas with the next chapter.

The concluding chapter, After Foucault, highlights some key areas of development in relation to other thinkers, as well as points of possible exploration for the reader. Foucault's thought vis-à-vis feminist thought is dramatic and interesting, given Foucault's generally androcentric (and often misogynistic) stance in writing - still the issues of power relations and society are crucial to feminist critique. His post-colonialist ideas, again springing from the reformulation of power relationships in society after a dominant, foreign power is displaced, influenced further thinkers such as Edward Said. Foucault has (perhaps unintentionally) become useful for the anti-psychiatric lobby, as Foucault sees much defined as madness to be social construct rather than actual ailment (Foucault saw talk-therapy as a kind of modernised `confessional').

There was only one point at which I had a serious disagreement with Mills in her analysis of Foucault. At one point in discussing his tendency toward not developing fully thought-out theories, she speculates that his kind of approach could possibly be used `to justify fascism or to deny the existence of the Holocaust'. I would disagree with this assessment, given that this would not in fact discredit systems of power, but merely replace one with another. If fascism or Holocaust-deniers were not a power-in-potential, that might be true. But then, this is a point upon which much discussion could continue!

As do the other volumes in this series, Mills concludes with an annotated bibliography of works by Foucault (primarily those available in authoritative English translation), works on Foucault, and even internet references.

While this series focuses intentionally upon critical literary theory and cultural studies, in fact this is only the starting point. For Foucault (as for others in this series) the expanse is far too broad to be drawn into such narrow guidelines, and the important and impact of the ideas extends out into the whole range of intellectual development. As intellectual endeavours of every sort depend upon language, understanding, and interpretation, the thorough comprehension of how and why we know what we know is crucial.

confusing and far too long, 30 Jun 2008
Davidson's previous book (Fishcakes and Courtesans) was one of the best things ever written on the Ancient World. By contrast, this one should have had the serious attentions of an editor, who would, first of all, have reduced its length by at least half. And then controlled Davidson's runaway propensity for slang terms, neologisms and typographical innovations, all of which are confusing and irritating. I do now believe I have read the whole book (to do so from cover to cover in the order it is written is impossible) but I am still not clear what he is trying to say: was homosexuality the accepted norm in ancient Greece or not? It seems, reading between the lines, that Davidson thinks it wasn't (in the earlier book, he says so more clearly), but then, what is he trying to say? As far as I can see, only that